Manufacture of plaster cornices



(No Model.)

A. GARLEWITZ. MANUFACTURE OF PLASTER GORNIGES.

No. 591,245., Patented Oct. 5, 18197.

WITNESSES;

NITE

PATENT Pr on.

AUGUST OARLEWITZ, OF NEWARK, NEW JERSEY.

MANUFACTURE OF PLASTER CORNICES.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 591,245, dated October5, 1897'.

Application filed April9, 1897. Serial No. 681,482. (No model.) I

To all whom it 11mg concern.-

Be it known that I, AUGUST CARLEWITZ, a citizen of the United States,residing at Newark, in the county of Essex and State of New Jersey, haveinvented certain new and useful Improvements in the Manufacture ofPlaster Oornices, of which the following is a specification. a

My invention relates in part to a method of making a mold for use incasting from plas ter or similar materials cornices having undercutrelief ornamentation on their faces and in part to a mold for thepurpose having a face of elastic yielding material of suificientthickness to form a mold for the relief ornamentation and a stiff rigidbacking on the said elastic face.

The invention will be described with reference to the accompanyingdrawings, which illustrate an embodiment thereof.

Figure 1 is a vertical transverse section of the mold as it appears justafter the backing D has been cast on the clay. Fig. 2 is a similarsection of the mold, showing it after the clay B has been removed andthe backing has been bored or perforated and replaced. Fig.

3 is a similar section of the mold, showing it after the elasticyielding face I has been cast to fill the space formerly occupied by theclay. Fig. 4 is a vertical transverse section of the mold, showing itinverted and the pattern removed to make ready for casting the cornice;and Fig. 5 is a side elevation of the same. Fig. 6 is aperspective viewof the mold as seen in Figs. 4c and 5. Fig. 7 is a plan view of the faceof the mold as it lies on the backing D,-as seen in Fig. 6, with theframe G removed.

The first step in the carrying out of my invention is to prepare themold, and in doing this I proceed, by preference, as follows: The

pattern for the cornice (designated by A in the several figures of thedrawings)will correspond in size and configuration to the section ofcornice to be produced, and it will be made to fit in a metalcasting-frame G, as seen in Figs. 1, 2, and 3. This frame having beenplaced as indicated in Fig. 1 and the pattern A placed in it, the faceof the pattern is covered with soft clay B, which is carefully pressedinto all the cavities of the ornamentation on the pattern and applied inquantity sufficient to embed all of the relief ornamentation on thepattern and cover the same to a depth of about one and one-half to twoinches. The back or upper side of this clay facing will be left uneven,by preference, and

it wi lligllow the general configuration ofthe desigp gn is, theornamentait'idh ill hll cove or on the face of the pattern of thecornice. After the clay B has been placed I mount on the metal frame G aframe C, having V=shaped ends (0 in Fig. 2 which fit down into the metalframe G and close the ends of the same. This frame 0 provides an edgingor border for the backing D which is formed by pouring onto the clay B amixture of plaster and water or similar material and allowing it to setor harden. If the plaster is used in a slightly-stiff pasty form insteadof being thin enough for pouring, it may be formed on the clay by handor a temporary board used in place of-a regular frame. It will beobserved that tlie clay B now occupies a position between the pattern Aand the backing D, and the pattern A will be a little shorter than theframes 0 and G, so that the clay may also be pressed down about the endsof the pattern between its ends and the ends 0 of the frame 0. After thebacking D shall have become hard and firm the frame 0 is re' moved,leaving the backing resting on the clay. The backing is now detachedfrom the clay and lifted off and the clay then carefully removed fromthe pattern.

.The next step is to prepare the elastic flexible face portion of themold, and in doing this I bore holes b at suitable points through theplaster backing D and then replace it on the frame G, as seenin Fig. 2.Two goodsized holes at proper distances apart along the center of themold will answer every purpose; but theremay be a number of holes, asshown. The primary purpose of these holes is to permit the escape of airduring the process of making the gelatm facing, and the final objectthereof is obtained by the formation of fingers or projections on theback of the gelatinous facing of the mold, which will fit into the holeswhen the operation of casting the cornice is being performed. Themixture to form the elastic flexible face I is a liquid gelatinouscompound which will congeal into a tough elastic mass when cooled. Thismix-.

ture is now poured into the mold through a hole I), when it will fillthe space before occupied by the clay. When the gelatinous compoundreaches-the top of the vent-holes, such holes may be stopped by plugs ofclay, as shown at cl in Fig. 3. If the projections of gelatin which havesolidified in the holes are inconveniently long, such portions may beshortened by cutting them off, the design being to hold the elasticfacing in place on the plaster backing by means of suitable integralprotuberances on the back of the same, the exact form or size of theprojections not being material. I have found that a suitable compoundfor the elastic face I maybe made from a good quality of gelatin, (andpreferably that known to the trade as rabbit ge1atin,) to which is addedabout twenty per cent. of glycerin and a small quantity of rosin, chalk,and turpentine. In the operation of casting oil or varnish may be usedas a wash over the surfaces of the mold as a precaution against theplaster adhering to the elastic facing, as is usually practiced by thoseskilled in such work. After the elastic compound has cooled and set themold is inverted and the pattern A removed. The mold will now presentthe appearance seen in Figs. 4, 5, and 6. The backing D now serves as abase, supporting the elastic face I, which will thus be held firmlyduring the molding operation. The frame G now has its narrow baseuppermost, and in this base is a longitudinal opening II, through whichthe mixture of plaster to form the section of cornice is now poured,this mixture filling up the entire space before occupied by the patternA.

In the operation of casting the metal frame G rests upon and issupported by the backing D, and the mixture when poured in through theopening II will be confined within the lines of the frame, the diagonalsides and back of a cast cornice being formed by the inside of the metalframe and the face or ornamental front by the elastic facing of theother part of the mold. In some cases where heavy work is being done theframe 0 may also surround the plaster backing D, so as to provideagainst injury from cracking; but it will be apparent that the mold maybe used without the frame 0. After the plaster has set in the mold themold is again turned over to the position seen in Figs. 1 and 2 and theplaster backing D lifted off from the elastic face I,

after which the said face is carefully pulled off from the plaster cast.The face I is of such a nature that although the plaster cast may bevery much undercut and the figure delicately sculptured the elastic facewill bend and yield, owing to its pliability, so as to be removedwithout the least injury to the fine lines of the cast. The elasticfacing, although comparatively thin, is always deep enough to receivethe ornamentations of the design. After being removed from the cast theface I may be returned to its position on the backing D for use again,and in this way many casts may be made from the same elastic facing. Thegelatinous material flows into the holes in the backing D, and thusforms on the back of the flexible face projections which serve to steadythe lining in place after it is made. The frame G should be madeperfectly true and exact, and will be made of steel, by preference, toimpart rigidity and prevent Warping or twisting during the castingoperation. This frame should be secured to the other parts of the moldby tying or otherwise during the operation of casting the plastercornice.

Having thus described my invention, I claim 1. The herein-describedmethod of forming a mold for casting articles from plaster which havesurface ornamentation in relief, which consists in first placing apattern in a frame then forming a coating of clay over the face of thepattern, then casting a thick backing of plaster on the clay, thenremoving the clay, and then filling the space previously occupied by theclay with a gelatinous compound, and finally removing the pattern afterthe gelatinous compound shall have congealed, substantially as setforth.

2. A mold for casting cornices, which have a surface ornamentation inrelief, consisting essentially of a base D of plaster with a removablefacing I of tough elastic gelatinous composition, having formed in itthe mold for the relief ornamentation of the front of the casting, and aframe G to form the back of said casting substantially as shown anddescribed.

3. The combination, to form a mold for easting articles of plaster whichhave surface ornamentation in relief, of the metal frame G, the frame 0,adapted to fit on the frame G, the backing D, of plasterin the frame 0,and the removable face I, on the backing D, said face being of tough,elastic, gelatinous composition and having formed in it the mold for therelief ornamentation of the article to be cast, substantially assetforth.

AUGUST OARLEWITZ.

WVitnesses:

A. BELL MALcoMsoN; EDWARD O. WILsoN.

ITO

